Key Bridge Struggles

[Backdoc]

I fished the Key Bridge again yesterday. I read the tide chart and it said high tide was at 6:52 PM. I put in about 230 and was on the first piling shortly before 3. The tide seemed slack the entire time I fished from 3-8pm. I was expecting some current around the pilings but it never happened. Maybe I need some help understanding the finer details of tide movement. Anyhow, I started jigging and immediately picked up a decent perch. It is on I thought!!! Not so much. It was pretty slow going. It picked up around 7pm and I managed about a dozen really good size perch. Two short stripers and a 20 inch catfish that hurt my feelings because I thought it was a decent striper. I cannot emphasize enough how close to the pilings I had to be to get any action. I would position my kayak so that I could vertical jig next to the pilings. Two feet out and nothing, in close and I was picking up fish. It is also worth noting that the fish were hitting very, very softly. I was thankful I was using my Loomis jig rod because the bumps were barely felt. Last week the perch were crushing my jig. Fish....always changing. I met fellow Snaggedliner YaknBass and we fished together for a while. With all due respect YaknBass is no spring chicken and put some serious MILES on the water trolling the Patapsco in his paddle powered Elise kayak. He never stopped.

[YaknBass]

Backdoc, it was a pleasure to spend some time on the water and share a bit of conversation. The Patapsco was in a stingy mood on Sunday. I certianly did not find any fish other then a blue fish who politely removed himself off the hook right at the boat. Trolled the day away hoping for a strike that would maybe give me an idea of some type of pattern or condition. trolled in shore 8fow to 30fow looked for edges humps ect...one of those days. "Everyday is a Good Day Some are Better Then Others" Quote from the Man who tought me Right from Wrong. Doc was glad you hooked up on some quality fish just not the numbers you may have hoped for. Tight Lines & Bent Rods Always!!

[HJS]

backdoc - The evening high tide at Fort McHenry on Sunday was a weak high tide... meaning it didn't go up all that much. That's why there was hardly any current. On the other hand, the morning high tide on Sunday was somewhat stronger (higher). Let me see if I can add a link to the tides at McHenry I use. It's not very user friendly but it does allow you to graph the tidal changes.

http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/tidesh...ryland&units=f

Click on "make prediction using options" once you get there. OK, see if this works.

By the way, how was the water clarity?

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Minutes later... Well, that didn't work as I had planned. So I give up. Maybe you can figure out how to adjust the options in this site to get a pretty graph of the McHenry tides.

[Backdoc]

Howard,
Thanks for the tidal chart. Water clarity was Ok. There was a distinct dark line running from the Ft. Armistead side out to the second piling. It was weird. I have seen that before in the Patapsco when fishing from my center console. I could see my jig about 18 inches out. I also noticed the wind was blowing exact opposite of the tide, that may have had an effect as well.

[Shady]

Nice perch in the pic, how big was that one? It was a little slower for me out the Friday as well due to weak tide, but had some cats, striper and perch. Will try again this Friday if I don't go to bay bridge

[Backdoc]

Ryan, I didn't measure so I would be guessing. I will be conservative and say a solid 11" plus.

[AbuMasgouf]

Nice going bro! Sorry you didn't get the Rock you were after... but fall will be here soon, and it should get better (God Willing!)

[Backdoc]

Yes, Mustafa, I have hope for the fall. I caught some very nice perch and it was a beautiful day. I met a fellow snagged line fisherman and I came home safe....it was a success. Thank you.